Elizabeth was sitting with her mother and sisters, reflecting on what she had
heard, and doubting whether she was authorised to mention it, when Sir
William Lucas himself appeared, sent by his daughter, to announce her en-
gagement to the family. With many compliments to them, and much self-
gratulation on the prospect of a connection between the houses, he unfolded
the matter—to an audience not merely wondering, but incredulous; for Mrs.
Bennet, with more perseverance than politeness, protested he must be en-
tirely mistaken; and Lydia, always unguarded and often uncivil, boisterous-
ly exclaimed:
"Good Lord! Sir William, how can you tell such a story? Do not you
know that Mr. Collins wants to marry Lizzy?"
Nothing less than the complaisance of a courtier could have borne with-
out anger such treatment; but Sir William's good breeding carried him
through it all; and though he begged leave to be positive as to the truth of
his information, he listened to all their impertinence with the most forbear-
ing courtesy.
Elizabeth, feeling it incumbent on her to relieve him from so unpleasant a
situation, now put herself forward to confirm his account, by mentioning
her prior knowledge of it from Charlotte herself; and endeavoured to put a
stop to the exclamations of her mother and sisters by the earnestness of her
congratulations to Sir William, in which she was readily joined by Jane, and
by making a variety of remarks on the happiness that might be expected
from the match, the excellent character of Mr. Collins, and the convenient
distance of Hunsford from London.
Mrs. Bennet was in fact too much overpowered to say a great deal while
Sir William remained; but no sooner had he left them than her feelings
found a rapid vent. In the first place, she persisted in disbelieving the whole
of the matter; secondly, she was very sure that Mr. Collins had been taken
in; thirdly, she trusted that they would never be happy together; and fourth-
ly, that the match might be broken off. Two inferences, however, were
plainly deduced from the whole: one, that Elizabeth was the real cause of
the mischief; and the other that she herself had been barbarously misused
by them all; and on these two points she principally dwelt during the rest of
the day. Nothing could console and nothing could appease her. Nor did that
day wear out her resentment. A week elapsed before she could see Eliza-
beth without scolding her, a month passed away before she could speak to
Sir William or Lady Lucas without being rude, and many months were gone
before she could at all forgive their daughter.
Mr. Bennet's emotions were much more tranquil on the occasion, and
such as he did experience he pronounced to be of a most agreeable sort; for
it gratified him, he said, to discover that Charlotte Lucas, whom he had
been used to think tolerably sensible, was as foolish as his wife, and more
foolish than his daughter!
Jane confessed herself a little surprised at the match; but she said less of
her astonishment than of her earnest desire for their happiness; nor could
Elizabeth persuade her to consider it as improbable. Kitty and Lydia were
far from envying Miss Lucas, for Mr. Collins was only a clergyman; and it
affected them in no other way than as a piece of news to spread at Meryton.
Lady Lucas could not be insensible of triumph on being able to retort on
Mrs. Bennet the comfort of having a daughter well married; and she called
at Longbourn rather oftener than usual to say how happy she was, though
Mrs. Bennet's sour looks and ill-natured remarks might have been enough
to drive happiness away.
Between Elizabeth and Charlotte there was a restraint which kept them
mutually silent on the subject; and Elizabeth felt persuaded that no real con-
fidence could ever subsist between them again. Her disappointment in Char-
lotte made her turn with fonder regard to her sister, of whose rectitude and
delicacy she was sure her opinion could never be shaken, and for whose
happiness she grew daily more anxious, as Bingley had now been gone a
week and nothing more was heard of his return.
Jane had sent Caroline an early answer to her letter, and was counting the
days till she might reasonably hope to hear again. The promised letter of
thanks from Mr. Collins arrived on Tuesday, addressed to their father, and
written with all the solemnity of gratitude which a twelvemonth's abode in
the family might have prompted. After discharging his conscience on that
head, he proceeded to inform them, with many rapturous expressions, of his
happiness in having obtained the affection of their amiable neighbour, Miss
Lucas, and then explained that it was merely with the view of enjoying her
society that he had been so ready to close with their kind wish of seeing him
again at Longbourn, whither he hoped to be able to return on Monday fort-
night; for Lady Catherine, he added, so heartily approved his marriage, that
she wished it to take place as soon as possible, which he trusted would be
an unanswerable argument with his amiable Charlotte to name an early day
for making him the happiest of men.
Mr. Collins's return into Hertfordshire was no longer a matter of pleasure
to Mrs. Bennet. On the contrary, she was as much disposed to complain of it
as her husband. It was very strange that he should come to Longbourn in-
stead of to Lucas Lodge; it was also very inconvenient and exceedingly
troublesome. She hated having visitors in the house while her health was so
indifferent, and lovers were of all people the most disagreeable. Such were
the gentle murmurs of Mrs. Bennet, and they gave way only to the greater
distress of Mr. Bingley's continued absence.
Neither Jane nor Elizabeth were comfortable on this subject. Day after
day passed away without bringing any other tidings of him than the report
which shortly prevailed in Meryton of his coming no more to Netherfield
the whole winter; a report which highly incensed Mrs. Bennet, and which
she never failed to contradict as a most scandalous falsehood.
Even Elizabeth began to fear—not that Bingley was indifferent—but that
his sisters would be successful in keeping him away. Unwilling as she was
to admit an idea so destructive of Jane's happiness, and so dishonorable to
the stability of her lover, she could not prevent its frequently occurring. The
united efforts of his two unfeeling sisters and of his overpowering friend,
assisted by the attractions of Miss Darcy and the amusements of London
might be too much, she feared, for the strength of his attachment.
As for Jane, her anxiety under this suspense was, of course, more painful
than Elizabeth's, but whatever she felt she was desirous of concealing, and
between herself and Elizabeth, therefore, the subject was never alluded to.
But as no such delicacy restrained her mother, an hour seldom passed in
which she did not talk of Bingley, express her impatience for his arrival, or
even require Jane to confess that if he did not come back she would think
herself very ill used. It needed all Jane's steady mildness to bear these at-
tacks with tolerable tranquillity.
Mr. Collins returned most punctually on Monday fortnight, but his recep-
tion at Longbourn was not quite so gracious as it had been on his first intro-
duction. He was too happy, however, to need much attention; and luckily
for the others, the business of love-making relieved them from a great deal
of his company. The chief of every day was spent by him at Lucas Lodge,
and he sometimes returned to Longbourn only in time to make an apology
for his absence before the family went to bed.
Mrs. Bennet was really in a most pitiable state. The very mention of any-
thing concerning the match threw her into an agony of ill-humour, and
wherever she went she was sure of hearing it talked of. The sight of Miss
Lucas was odious to her. As her successor in that house, she regarded her
with jealous abhorrence. Whenever Charlotte came to see them, she con-
cluded her to be anticipating the hour of possession; and whenever she
spoke in a low voice to Mr. Collins, was convinced that they were talking of
the Longbourn estate, and resolving to turn herself and her daughters out of
the house, as soon as Mr. Bennet were dead. She complained bitterly of all
this to her husband.
"Indeed, Mr. Bennet," said she, "it is very hard to think that Charlotte Lu-
cas should ever be mistress of this house, that I should be forced to make
way for her, and live to see her take her place in it!"
"My dear, do not give way to such gloomy thoughts. Let us hope for bet-
ter things. Let us flatter ourselves that I may be the survivor."
This was not very consoling to Mrs. Bennet, and therefore, instead of
making any answer, she went on as before.
"I cannot bear to think that they should have all this estate. If it was not
for the entail, I should not mind it."
"What should not you mind?"
"I should not mind anything at all."
"Let us be thankful that you are preserved from a state of such
insensibility."
"I never can be thankful, Mr. Bennet, for anything about the entail. How
anyone could have the conscience to entail away an estate from one's own
daughters, I cannot understand; and all for the sake of Mr. Collins too! Why
should he have it more than anybody else?"
"I leave it to yourself to determine," said Mr. Bennet.
PART 2
